A liquid crystal display device in in-plane switching (IPS) mode is known as an example of a display device. The liquid crystal display device in IPS mode comprises a pixel electrode and a common electrode on either of a pair of substrates opposed via a liquid crystal layer, and the alignment of the liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer is controlled by using the lateral electric field generated between the electrodes. In addition, a liquid crystal display device in a fringe field switching (FFS) mode, which is one of the IPS modes, has been put into practical use. In the liquid crystal display device in the FFS mode, the pixel electrode and the common electrode are disposed in different layers of either of the substrates. The liquid crystal display device controls alignment of the liquid crystal molecules by using a fringing field generated between a pair of electrodes.
It is known that if a liquid crystal material having a negative dielectric anisotropy is used in the liquid crystal display device in the FFS mode, the transmittance is improved as compared with a liquid crystal material having a positive dielectric anisotropy.